In the Old Dialect, a Balkan Region Regains Its Identity

I find the discussion of languages regarding Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian very interesting with some similarities to the Macedonian language question. If we discuss these issues from the bottom up, (is Bosnian really Serbian? ... is Bulgarian really Mmacedonian?) ) we will have no resolution to these issues. If we discuss them from the top down, (i.e. we all speak a language of the "South Slavic" family ... dare I say "Yugoslav family"), then we can discuss what binds us together as well as what makes our own language unique.

All together now ... Cumbya lord, Cumbya ...

Novi Pazar Journal: In the Old Dialect, a Balkan Region Regains Its Identity

February 24, 2005

By Nicholas Wood

NOVI PAZAR, Serbia and Montenegro - Ahmed Halilovic's hand shot up to reply to a question from his teacher: "Can any one tell the difference between Bosnian and Serbian?"

Looking around the classroom in the Mesha Selimovic primary school here, it seemed that Ahmed, 7, was the only one to know. The other children could be forgiven: it is a question that many adults in this largely Muslim region of Serbia are finding hard to answer as well.
Bosnian is one in a series of languages that have blossomed in former Yugoslavia since the country broke up in the early 1990's.
Before then, most Yugoslavs considered that they spoke Serbo-Croatian, a language recognized since the 19th century but with many regional differences.
Since their country fractured, their culture and language has, too. Croatia, Bosnia, and even Montenegro have all sought to reassert traditional differences and distance themselves from Serbo-Croatian, a language some felt was too heavily dominated by Serbian.
What were considered dialects until recently are now regarded as their own language. In fact, three "new" languages - possibly four, if one counts Montenegrin -